


Push Me to the Edge

by JadeJem



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: ALMOST Character Death, Angst, F/M, Feels, Miraculous Ladybug - Freeform, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square, Oof super angsty, try not to hate me after this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-15
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2019-03-05 00:39:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13376442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JadeJem/pseuds/JadeJem
Summary: In which Marinette Dupain-Cheng dances on the brink of insanity.





	Push Me to the Edge

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, loves. Super angsty piece here.
> 
> WARNING: Contains suicidal thoughts and actions that may be triggering to some. Do not read if you are prone to these things.

"Moving? You can't move!"

**_"Trust me, I don't want to move, but my mom got a job as a chef at this really nice five star restaurant in America."_ **

"Alya... please. Please don't leave."

She left a week later.

 

***   *   ***

 

"What's wrong, Marinette? Did your only friend leave you? I mean, it makes sense; you're literal walking trash."

And Marinette didn't have the energy to argue.

 

***   *   ***

 

"Hey, A-Adrien?"

"Hey, Marinette! What's up?"

"W-well I was just wondering... D-do you maybe w-want to gogetsmoothieslater?"

"Sure! Here, I'll text Nino."

"Um, w-well... I meant just... you and I..."

"Oh..."

"So...?"

"I'm... I'm sorry, Marinette. I have feelings for someone else..."

"Oh..."

"But—"

"No! It's okay! It was a long shot anyway."

"Marine—"

"See you later, Adrien!"

 

***   *   ***

 

"Chat?"

"Yes?"

"Do you want to know who I am?"

"Of course."

"Okay."

She released her transformation.

He was silent.

"Chat...?"

"I'm sorry, but I... I don't know what to say, Marinette."

"But..."

"This... changes everything..."

He ran away and didn't come back.

 

***   *   ***

 

"Did you hear?"

"What?"

"Kim's saying that Marinette tried to beg him to sleep with her."

"Are you kidding?"

"Nope. Chloé confirmed it."

"Oh my god. She's so pathetic."

"I know, right? Like, how low do you have to stoop to get a guy?"

 

***   *   ***

 

"Why did you start false rumors about me?"

"I didn't. Kim did."

"Don't bullshit me, Chloé."

"How dare you, you stupid little bitch. Why don't you just kill yourself?"

Marinette didn't know how to answer that question.

 

***   *   ***

 

"Tikki?"

"Yes?"

"I can't feel anything."

"...Are you okay, Marinette?"

"I don't know."

 

***   *   ***

 

"Marinette! Get down here right now!"

"What, maman?"

"Why are you failing three classes?"

"I—"

"What's the matter, dear?"

"Our daughter is failing three classes."

"What?! Marinette!"

"Papa, just let me explain—"

"I don't want any excuses! Go to your room right now! You're grounded! Don't even _think_ about touching your phone or computer!"

She complied, swallowing the words she'd been wanting to share for a while now.

 

***   *   ***

 

"I'm retiring my Miraculous."

"What? No! Marinette, you were chosen for a reas—"

"I don't care, Tikki! I... I can't do this anymore! I—I can't... can't..."

"Wai—!"

"I'm sorry, Tikki."

 

***   *   ***

 

_Why don't you just kill yourself?_

"I don't know..."

 

***   *   ***

 

"What a whore."

"I can't believe she was so rude to Chloé."

"Right? I mean, I know Chloé used to be mean, but she isn't anymore!"

"I'm starting to think there's something wrong with Marinette."

"No, Aurore. I KNOW there's something wrong with Marinette."

 

***   *   ***

 

"Mmmf! Nff! Sthop!" His hot breath fans her face as his grimy hands hold hers above her head. His kisses are slimy, and Marinette finds herself feeling disgusting.

"Why? You want me," Kim breathes lustfully, eyes glinting dangerously in the disappearing sunlight.

Marinette looks around for someone—anyone—left in the school yard. Kim begins attacking her with aggressive kisses again, and Marinette whimpers when he bites down HARD on her bottom lip.

The coppery taste of blood invades her senses, and she gathers it in her mouth and spits it at Kim's face. He shouts in outrage, spluttering and wiping it off with the back of his hands.

"You asked for it, bitch," he spits menacingly, pulling one hand back and making a fist.

What remains of Ladybug that still rests deep within Marinette surges forward, and she finds herself kneeing Kim as hard as she can in the crotch. He gasps in pain, releasing his hold on her hands in favor of clutching his goodies.

"At least this bitch is smart," Marinette growls, wiping the blood from her dripping lip. She stoops down and grabs her bag before sprinting home.

Marinette has never hated school more, nor has she ever showered so many times in a row in her life.

But the feeling of Kim's lips all over her and what could have happened had she not thunk on her feet haunts Marinette in the following weeks.

 

***   *   ***

 

Marinette trudges down the rain-soaked stone steps of her high school, the feeling of nostalgia beating her otherwise numb insides to a pulp. Her watch reads **4:30 PM** ; the time she chooses to leave every day after school when everyone else is gone.

 _'It's easier,'_ she reminds herself faintly.

Her fingers itch for her phone, for something to distract herself from the fact that she can barely feel the rain pounding down on her head and back.

"Marinette!"

So surprised to hear someone call her name, Marinette whirls around only to slip and fall flat on her back.

"Wonderful," she mutters sarcastically, exhaling and closing her eyes so the rain won't burn them. Hey, at least her bag cushioned her fall, right?

"Are you okay?" The sound of splashing has Marinette cracking an eye open to see a tall, dark figure looming over her own. The boy extends a hand, and Marinette hesitantly takes it. He pulls her to her feet, and she rubs the rain water out of her vision to see five stripes... and a black shirt.

"Adrien," she acknowledges quietly, taking a step back and nodding her head in his direction. "Thank you." And with that, she turns to leave.

For the first time in weeks, months, even, electricity shoots down her spine as Adrien's hand makes contact with her own.

"Wait," he says, not relinquishing his grip even as Marinette tries to pull away.

"What?" Marinette snaps, still trying to yank her hand from his. "What do you want from me?"

Adrien recoils slightly at the ice present in her tone, but does not let go.

"We need to talk."

"Oh," Marinette laughs, but the sound is hollow, "you wanna talk? You want to have one of _'those'_ conversations? Sorry, but I'm not—"

"Just shut up and let me talk!"

 _—interested_.

Marinette's mouth snaps shut.

_Did Adrien just tell me to shut up? Adrien Agreste, the boy who lets people walk all over him all the time?_

"Fine," Marinette agrees through clenched teeth, tugging hard enough to dislodge her hand from Adrien's.

Adrien openly stares at her for a moment, not saying anything.

"What? You want to have a seat?" Marinette offers sarcastically, gesturing to the front steps of their high school.

The corners of Adrien's lips twitch, and something in Marinette warms ever so slightly.

 _'No!'_ she reminds herself internally. _'Not gonna go there!'_

"Sure," he says, nodding his head in the direction of the stairs as he begins walking towards them.

"I wasn't serious!" Marinette yells after him, crossing her arms and staying put.

Adrien falls back against the stone steps in the middle and pats the space next to him. "C'mon!" he calls. "Or are you scared that I'll bite?"

Marinette raises an eyebrow.

_He did not just go there._

"Fine," she snaps, stomping through the puddles all the way up the steps and plopping down next to him. "But make it fast. I'm cold." A lie, but a convincing one, nonetheless—considering the fact that it's still raining cats and ladybu— _DOGS_. Cats and DOGS.

She looks at him, and he grins—the smug bastard.

"Don't look at me like that."

"Why not? Afraid you'll fall for me again?"

Marinette's mouth falls open.

_He better be kidding._

"Why would I make the same mistake twice?" she fires back, smirking when the grin falls off his face.

"...Fair point," he finally admits, scratching the back of his neck. "I mean, what dumb ass runs away from the love of his life when she reveals herself to him, probably driving her to turn in her Miraculous and leave him to fight pissed off toddlers and immature adults on his own?"

The only thing Marinette hears over the white noise buzzing louder and louder by the second is the sound of the rain.

And Adrien's breathing.

Adrien?

No, Marinette could've sworn she'd just been speaking with Chat.

The drawl, the smirk, the mischievous glittering eyes...

Marinette's eyes widen, and she whips her head towards him so fast, she suffers from a small case of whiplash. She blinks, but Adrien isn't dissolving into Chat Noir, and the earnest guilt shining in Adrien's eyes isn't going anywhere. The words sink in.

Deeper.

And deeper.

And d  
              e  
                    e  
                          p  
                                e  
                                      r  
                                            .  
                                                  .  
                                                        .

Rain water drips from Adrien's bangs, which part on the sides and meet in one strand down the middle of his forehead... almost making him look like...

Marinette shakes her head. _'No. There's just no way.'_

Adrien's nervous smile seemingly shatters at the notion. "Marinette," he practically pleads, reaching for her hands.

She moves them out of his reach, if only to hide how violently they're shaking.

"No," she whispers, voice wavering dangerously as she shakes her head. "No. It's not... you can't..."

"But I am," Adrien's searching gaze _begs_ her silently, "just... not without you."

Marinette's hot tears mix with the raindrops as they spill down her cheeks.

"Weeks," she murmurs quietly.

"Hmm?" Adrien hums, hope touching his voice.

"Weeks!" Marinette screams, not caring about the way her voice cracks or how hard Adrien flinches. "You let me believe you didn't even _want_ me anymore as a _partner_ for _weeks_! I screamed, cried, HURT so badly... and now you have the audacity to come and tell me that you knew this whole time?!" Her throat closes up as sobs consume her.

Oh, Adrien's expression.

The perfect mixture of horror, dread, and pain.

 _'I want you to hurt as much as I do,'_ part of Marinette whispers.

She stands suddenly, needing to be _anywhere_ else before she has a complete meltdown. Resisting the temptation to look at Adrien just one more time, she takes off sprinting as fast as her feet will carry her. She doesn't stop at the crosswalk and risks nearly getting hit by a car. By the time she's through the backdoor of her parents' boulangerie, her heart is pounding so fast and hard with adrenaline, she almost doesn't know what to do with herself.

_I almost died._

And the thought changes **nothing**.

 

***   *   ***

 

All night. She ignores it all night. The pounding, the scratching, the distant call of her name through the floorboards above her. Of course, she'd have to sleep to be able to completely ignore it, but she hasn't been sleeping for weeks so it's fine.

Fine.

"I'm fine," she says quietly, thoughtfully. "I'm fine," she repeats, this time with more conviction...! She shakes her head.

_I don't even believe it, and I'm the one saying it._

"Maybe I can see someone," she suggests out loud, rolling over and shoving her arm under the pillow. "A therapist or something. I can get help; it's not too late."

_Yes it is._

"Not necessarily. If I can just get someone to listen to me—"

_Just give it up already. You've got nothing! No future, no hobbies, no crush, no friends, no partner, no positive influence, and no drive to keep going. And let's face it; no one loves you._

"I—"

_You should just kill yourself._

"Suicide is never the answer, though!"

_Well then what is? Wake up and smell the roses, Marinette. Some problems don't have solutions. Some problems just need to be erased. You're one of those problems._

"No..."

_Death is easier than life._

"But..."

_JUST KILL YOURSELF ALREADY!_

"I..."

_DIE! BURN! THE PAIN IS TOO MUCH! I CAN'T HANDLE IT ANYMORE! YOU THINK THAT PUSHING IT TO THE BACK OF YOUR MIND MAKES IT GO AWAY? NO! NOO! IT HURTS SO MUCH AND I JUST NEED IT TO STOP!_

"Please..."

_MAKE IT STOP!_

"P-please..."

_IT HURTS!_

Marinette buries her face into her pillow. Her breathing slows to a stop, but the tears keep coming. The banging on the trapdoor of her ceiling, however, doesn't stop.

An idea shoves its way through the screaming and voices in Marinette's head, and she sits up suddenly, taking a deep breath.

_Make it stop._

"I'm going to make it stop. But... how do I get around Chat Noir?"

_Sneak out the back?_

"Risky... but it could work."

_Good. Now, let's find a pretty white dress._

"White is the color of purity."

_Exactly! It symbolizes freedom. And once we're free..._

"...we'll be pure."

_Yes! You're finally getting it!_

"I get it..."

Marinette climbs down her bed ladder and heads over to her closet. She pushes around clothing until her fingers land on a smooth cotton fabric.

_This one._

She pulls it out and looks it up and down. An old dress she had designed, inspired by a church downtown back when she still designed and sewed...

"Should I wear a bra?"

_Of course not! We want our last moments to be in comfort, yes?_

Marinette hums in response, ridding herself of her pink pajamas in favor of the pearl white dress that falls to her knees. She steps in front of her mirror.

_Ditch the twin-tails._

Marinette's fingers reach up and slowly pull the hair-ties loose. Her midnight hair falls slightly past her shoulders, and Marinette touches it thoughtfully.

_Now brush it and curl it._

She complies.

_Put on make-up._

Her fingers roam over her drawers before she pulls one open and picks up a small pack of make-up. First, she coats her eyelashes in thick layers of mascara. Then, she applies a thin line of eyeliner ending with small flicks on both sides. Finally, she powders her cheeks lightly and looks over lipstick options.

_The bright red one. It'll make your eyes pop._

Marinette unscrews the lid to the bright red lipstick slowly and stares at it for a moment before tediously applying it to her lips. One coat, two coats, three coats.

She blinks at her reflection.

_Beautiful._

A smile curves her cherry-red lips. "Thank you."

_Now, let's make our escape._

 

***   *   ***

 

The hike up is a long one. Marinette passes hundreds of people on her way to the very top of the Eiffel Tower. Some smile, some ignore her, some wave. Marinette even takes a couple of pictures for some tourists.

At long last, she reaches the top. Well, not the top. And that's an issue.

_Just climb; no one'll care._

Marinette nods and latches on to the beam.

"Um... What are you doing, Miss?"

Marinette turns around and smiles at the old woman.

"Something I should have done a while ago."

And so she climbs. She climbs until she reaches the spot where she and Chat used to meet for patrols; far above the people and very far off the ground. Marinette walks towards the edge slowly, aware of the growing buzz of the people far below her.

And she had really been hoping this wouldn't attract attention.

Ah, well, c'est la vie, right?

Or not.

Her toes inch towards the tip of the tower, and the voices in her head begin screaming again. She covers her ears, wishing for nothing more than some peace.

"Shut up!" she shouts. "I want to think for a moment!"

The voices stop.

Marinette takes a deep breath and stares out across the city. She can distinctly hear the sound of beating wings in the distance; a helicopter, no doubt.

"So beautiful," she acknowledges, tearing up at the sight of the sun just barely peeking over the horizon. "I couldn't ask for a prettier view for my last moments than my home." Her eyes land on her parents' boulangerie; on Chat sitting on her trapdoor with his head in his knees. "I love you, maman and papa. This isn't your fault. I just... I don't think I can live with myself anymore..." Her eyes never stray from her partner. "And you, Chat... You let me down. You hurt me when I showed you the real me. I was vulnerable, and you took that and used it to stab me. But," tears spill down her fair cheeks as she bites her lip, "I do love you. I always will. Just... from somewhere else."

Sirens sound from somewhere down below, and Marinette takes that as her cue to wrap it up.

"I miss you, Alya! I wish you never would have left me!" Marinette shouts over the howling wind, toes now hanging over the edge of the tower.

Marinette sucks in a deep breath, gathering the last of her courage as the words fall from her lips. "I love you, Paris." She tips. "Bug out..."

_Regret._

She falls.

_Regret!_

She falls.

_REGRET!_

**"MARINETTE!"**

And suddenly, Marinette isn't falling.

She's flying.

"Nng... God, is that you?" she mutters, head spinning so fast she feels like she wants to throw-up.

_Am I dead?_

Warms water drips down her cheeks. She frowns.

"Am I dead yet? Is that why I'm crying?"

Then, she hears the muttering.

"...stupid. This is all my fault. I should've..."

Her vision clears for a moment, and her eyes fall upon the one holding her.

"Umm, God? Why do you look like my partner? Sexy cat suits are not meant to be worn by eternal beings. Just sayin'."

"Any other time," God Chat Noir starts, not meeting her eyes. "Any other time, I would be making fun of you so much right now."

"How rude."

"Marinette," he sighs, "you're not dead."

He suddenly stops running and lets Marinette falls from his firm grip. She frowns and looks around. "I'm not?"

"No," Chat confirms through gritted teeth, lip quivering slightly. "But you almost were. God, if I hadn't have gotten there in time—"

He's cut off by Marinette's sudden hug. She wraps her arms tight around his waist, trying to pull him impossibly closer as tears sting her eyes. "Thank you for saving me, Chaton," she whispers, throat closing as the tears begin to spill and the sobs begin to wrack her body.

As much as he wants to be angry, Chat pushes that to the side and just focuses on the girl currently holding on to him for dear life. "Hey," he says, cradling her head against his chest, "it's okay. I'm here now. I'm here."

He doesn't know how long they stand there for. Seconds, minutes, hours. It could be any of the three, and Chat couldn't care less.

 

***   *   ***

 

"You can leave now," Marinette says quietly, gesturing towards the trapdoor in her ceiling.

Chat scoffs. "Yeah, and leave you to jump off the balcony? Like that's gonna happen." He crosses his arms and leans back against Marinette's desk at the far side of the room.

Marinette shifts uncomfortably on her chaise, keeping her legs criss-crossed like a kindergartner. "I regretted it as soon as I did it, you know," she states, not meeting his burning eyes as he glares at her.

"But you still did it," Chat responds icily. "Why...?" Marinette looks up at him in surprise when his voice softens. "Why did you do it?"

And so, she tells him.

One event after another. With each new thing that comes to the surface, Chat's expression grows more pained. She finally tells the most recent event, the Kim event, and Chat suddenly pushes himself off of her desk.

"Chat?" Marinette queries worriedly, standing as well. "Where are you going?"

Chat climbs up Marinette's ladder and pushes the trapdoor open. "To take care of something," he snarls through gritted teeth, eyes glinting with fury.

"Easy, Kitty, Kitty," Marinette soothes, grabbing his arm before he can make his escape. He sends her a look so sour that Marinette almost laughs. "Come back inside. We can deal with Kim later. After all,"—she snorts—"he was only doing Chloé's bidding."

"Yeah," Chat Noir sighs, climbing back down into Marinette's room, "but I can't punch a girl."

She chuckles quietly and pushes him down onto her chaise. "Always the gentleman."

It's Chat's turn to snort as Marinette sits down next to him. "That's my other persona you're talking about. Chat Noir is merely courteous," he says with a wink.

An awkward silence weighs heavily in the air, making it hard to breathe.

"I'm gonna—"

"You should—"

They both stop and look at each other. "Sorry, you first," they say at the same time. A shared glare. "No, you. Stop that! No—" They both stand up from the chaise.

"Oh for the love of—"

"What the actual fu—"

"I'm gonna take a shower," Marinette states, suddenly feeling the draft one feels when they _don't_ have a bra on.

Chat purses his lips and nods. "That's what I was going to suggest."

Marinette stops and turns around, and Chat Noir is suddenly struck by how absolutely _stunning_ she is. Even after having gone through so much shit, even though her hair is a mess and her eyeliner is smeared, she still pulls him in like the current of an ocean; drowning him in her eyes of cerulean-blue.

What a beautiful way to die.

"Okay," she says slowly, nodding once in his direction. "Glad we're on the same page." She smiles softly, hesitantly, and Chat Noir returns the notion. "Oh, I'm sorry," she says suddenly, blinking rapidly and smacking herself lightly on the forehead. "Does your Kwami need anything? Cookies?"

"Cookies?" Chat asks, raising an eyebrow in question. "I thought Kwami ate camembert cheese..."

Marinette frowns. "Um... Tikki eats—" Marinette's expression drops completely, and Chat's heart aches for her. She clears her throat. "I mean ate... Tikki ate cookies."

Chat is tempted to march up to Marinette and kiss the life out of her, but he refrains himself and instead just looks down at the floor. "Camembert is the only thing Plagg'll eat."

"Right," Marinette chimes, pursing her lips, nodding, and turning towards the trapdoor. "I'll be right back with your cheese." She pulls the trapdoor open effortlessly (Chat may or may not ogle her beautiful arms) and, without looking at him, climbs through it to the stairs below.

A beat passes. **"Plagg, claws in."**

Plagg comes tumbling out of Adrien's ring, a scowl already curving his brow. Adrien preps himself for a verbal beat-down from his Kwami.

"Kid—"

_Here it comes._

"—are you okay?"

Adrien, being the dramatic person he is, had screwed his eyes shut, bracing himself for something much worse than what he had just received.

"Huh?" asks Adrien, a dumbfounded expression planting itself on his face.

Plagg raises an unseen eyebrow. "Did I stutter?"

"N-no!" Adrien splutters, raking his hands through his messy golden locks. "I just—"

"Found some in the—Sorry, am I interrupting something?" Marinette's voice jolts Adrien out of his surprised stupor, and he clears his throat and stands up straight.

"N—"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, you are!" Plagg snaps, zipping over and getting all up in Marinette's face. "Do you know how much stress you caused him?!" Plagg shouts, jabbing a paw at his Chosen while keeping his glare intact. "And all for what? Because you couldn't handle all the homework you were receiving? Because he was too dumb to wake up and see what an amazing girl you were? Because you had designer's block or whatever?"

Adrien's ears burn red with anger. "Plagg!" he yells, fury boiling in his tone. "You have no right to judge her like that!"

Plagg huffs indignantly and disappears behind Marinette's desktop computer. Adrien turns to Marinette, expecting to see her as angry as he is—

"No," she whispers, so quietly that Adrien almost doesn't hear her, "he's right."

Adrien's mouth falls open as his frown deepens. He raises his eyebrows. "You're kidding, right?"

Marinette fidgets with the small container in her hands. "What kind of superhero am I?" she finally says, not meeting his burning gaze. "I gave up my Miraculous when I had a duty to uphold; a city to take care of!" She grits her teeth as the hate mounts within her. "I was irresponsible, and I let little things unhinge me."

"Getting sexually harassed by Kim isn't a 'little' thing, Marinette!" Adrien reminds her hotly, disbelief coloring his words. "Sure, I was angry with you at first, too, but your choices are your choices! You didn't think you could efficiently protect the city with that mindset you were carrying around with you! If anything, you did the right thing!" Adrien marches up to Marinette, taking the container of camembert cheese out of her hands and fixing her with a stern look as he places his hands on her shoulders. "Marinette," he addresses her, willing her to look him in the eyes. She does. "It's okay to make mistakes."

Marinette's schooled expression crumbles as hopelessness weighs her expression down. "Do you think Master Fu would even give me back my Miraculous?"

"There's only one way to find out," says Adrien, determination sparkling in his lively green eyes. "But first, you deserve a shower," he insists, spinning Marinette around and pushing her towards the door, trying not to think about the fact that Marinette taking a shower would entail she get undre—

"Thanks, Adrien," Marinette says quietly, a small smile touching her lips as she disappears under her trapdoor once more.

 

***   *   ***

 

"Am I going to regret this?"

Chat puts a hand on his chest where his heart is, feigning an affronted look. "Why, Princess, don't you have any faith in me?"

Marinette purses her lips, pretending to take a moment to consider her answer before resolutely saying, "Not really, no."

"And here I thought I'd be getting compliments on my chivalrous ways," Chat pouts, puckering his bottom lip. "After all, Plagg is still pissed at me."

Marinette shivers, gripping her bare arms. "It's not you he's pissed at," she grumbles, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her already-numb ear.

Chat sends her a deadpanned look. "Either way, he doesn't get to be pissed. Now, are you ready to go?"

"As ready as I'll ever b—EEE!" Marinette shrieks as Chat grabs her around the waist and vaults off her balcony, a mischievous grin capturing his face. "Chat!" Marinette screeches over the howling wind. "I wasn't ready!"

"Guess that makes you a hypocrite!" he shouts back, whooping as he extends his staff and vaults high into the air. They come a stand-still, at least two hundred feet off the ground as Chat balances them precariously on his staff.

Marinete swallows and tries not to look down. "H-how does that make me a hypocrite?"

A beat.

"You hate liars."

They tip, and Marinette's stomach flips as a scream rips itself from her throat. Down, down, DOWN they plummet, the ground swelling up beneath them as it gets closer and closer.

"Chat!" Marinette screams, holding on to him for dear life. She screws her eyes shut, bracing for impact—

They stop falling. Marinette cracks an eye open. Chat's chest rumbles with silent laughter, and she hops out of his grasp—on to the pavement. She dusts herself off, stubbornly avoiding Chat's amused gaze. Her eyes falls upon a store window with massage deals and coupons along with scrolls written in Chinese extending down the glass.

**神奇**

She attempts to read the Chinese script and gets: 'Chicken in happy.'

 _'Yeah,'_ she drawls internally, _'I'm pretty sure that's wrong...'_

"Huh," says Chat, coming up next to Marinette and reading the same scroll she had so horribly misinterpreted. "' _Shénqí_.'"

Marinette looks between Chat and the scroll. "Well? What does it mean, oh Chinese Expert?" she asks impatiently, crossing her arms and tapping one foot against the ground. 

"Miraculous."

"Miraculous?" she repeats, raising her eyebrows. "How subtle."

Chat shakes his head with a small smile. "Come on. Before it gets too light out."

"How do we know he's even here?" Marinette queries nervously, resisting Chat's attempt to tug her towards the entrance of the massage parlor. "He's probably asleep."

With a shrug, Chat goes for the door handle. "Won't know unless we try." A small, tinkling bell rings above the door as Chat pushes it open. "It's unlocked," he points out, stepping fully in to the foyer. Marinette steps in after him and closes he door behind herself.

"You should probably de-transform."

Chat nods. **"Plagg, claws in."**

Green sparks envelop Chat from the toes up, turning his leather (leather?) suit into normal clothing. The mask disappears, taking the cat eyes with it. Adrien blinks at her. "Better?"

Marinette shrugs. "For our circumstances."

The two hesitantly walk through the dark foyer, eyes examining every aspect of the room.

"Master Fu?" Marinette calls, trepidation leaking into her voice.

"Are you here?" Adrien tacks on, taking a small step in front of Marinette—just in case anything decides to jump out at them. "Hello?"

"Come on," Marinette whispers when they receive no response, "his office is back this way." She grabs Adrien's sleeve and creeps across the wooden floors, cringing when the boards creak under their weight.

They stop in front of the office door and push it open. This room is darker than the main room, the early morning light not as prominent due to the lack of windows.

Marinette peers around before padding into the room, Adrien not one step behind her. She frowns in confusion as she scans the room for Master Fu.

"He's... not here," she says dumbly, blinking as her eyes fall upon a VERY familiar box. "Is that..."

"I think it is," Adrien replies to her unfinished thought, stepping around her and picking the small black box up. The same Chinese inscriptions that are scrawled across Adrien's in red are present on this box as well. "Why don't you find out?" he asks, handing it to Marinette with a small smile.

She looks up at him, doubt spreading across her expression like wild fire. "W-what if he doesn't want me to have it back? What if _Tikki_ doesn't want me back?" She bites the inside of her cheek and stares at the floor. "What if I'm really NOT cut out to be Chosen...?"

Adrien shakes his head, a smile on his face. "Oh, Marinette," he sighs. "Why would he leave it out in the open if he didn't think you'd come and find it? He Chose you for a reason; don't take that for granted. As for Tikki...," he trails off, uncertainty etched into his features. "I don't know her like you do, so I don't know how she'll react. Just... take it." He holds the box out to her once more, and Marinette takes a deep breath before accepting it.

She closes her eyes and cracks the box open a smidgen.

A small, bright red blur comes zipping out, red sparkles following it as it twirls around in the air. It stops just in front of Marinette's face, and the sparkles vanish, leaving a tiny, red ladybug-looking Kwami.

Silence passes between the two before Tikki suddenly screeches in a VERY high-pitched voice: "Marinette!"

The Kwami attacks her Chosen with a hug to the cheek, and Marinette stands there, dumbstruck.

"Tikki," she says finally, a genuine smile stretching her lips as she cups the Kwami to her cheek, "I missed you."

Tikki pulls back, indigo eyes shining. "I missed you, too. Are you feeling better?"

Marinette glances at Adrien, who offers her a smile.

"Yeah," she says, grinning at him, "I think I am."

**Author's Note:**

> ...so yeah. First angsty piece ever that I just HAD to end fluffy because I can't handle too much angst.
> 
> Xoxo, J.


End file.
